Dear ComArtSci Community,
As we come to the close of the calendar year, December offers a meaningful pause, a moment to reflect on the work we have accomplished together and the people who make the College of Communication Arts and Sciences such a vibrant, impactful community.
One of the unique benefits of working in higher education is that we live on two annual cycles. We mark time both by the calendar year and by the academic year. That rhythm gives us two opportunities each year to begin anew, In August and again on January 1, and just as importantly, two opportunities to pause, celebrate our successes and express gratitude for the people and work that sustain us.
A new campus tradition
This season also brought a memorable moment on campus. For the first time in its 170-year history, MSU illuminated Beaumont Tower with holiday lights, launching what will become a new campus tradition. Seeing one of our most iconic landmarks glowing against the winter sky, with warm cups of cocoa in hand, was a reminder of the shared experiences that connect generations of Spartans.
Celebrating our graduates and global standing
College of Communication Arts and Sciences undergraduate students at the Fall 2025 commencement ceremony.
This past weekend, we also had the privilege of celebrating commencement, graduating more than 250 undergraduate students and 30 graduate students. It was enjoyable to also welcome back to campus Communicative Sciences and Disorders alum and former MSU Provost Kim Wilcox as our undergraduate commencement speaker. Commencement is always a powerful reminder of why we do this work. It also is a turning point, as our newest alumni begin putting their education to work beyond MSU. One of the reasons they leave so well prepared is the intentional blend of our world-class faculty, academic programs, and research – for which we recently received a top five global Shanghai ranking in Communication for the ninth straight year – and hands-on experiences that shape their time in ComArtSci. Those real-world opportunities to practice what they’ve learned in the classroom matter. And they are a big part of why MSU continues to be recognized for its students’ employability.
ComArtSci students present final presentations to the Office of Sustainability in PR 485 – Integrated PR Campaigns this semester.
Preparing students for meaningful careers and lives
Experiential learning is one of the ways this preparation comes to life.
Throughout the year, students have an opportunity to get out of the classroom and into different cities and countries to meet with professionals and Spartan alumni, learn about different career paths, and get a sense of where their interests might lead. This year, four of those experiences included immersive industry trips, with students visiting New York in March, Los Angeles in May, and Detroit and Chicago this week. I’m grateful to have had the chance to join some of our world-class Advertising and Public Relations faculty and 38 amazing students in Chicago where we visited 17 Chicago-based advertising and PR agencies, providing students with an opportunity to network with professionals working across the industry spectrum. They also engaged with our alums in Chicago, who graciously hosted a networking event, providing additional opportunities to grow their connections.
ComArtSci students visited 10 agencies in their discipline and met with professionals working across the spectrum of advertising and public relations, including dozens of alumni.
Experiences like these connect academic learning to real-world applications and help students envision meaningful, purpose-driven futures. A special thanks to our faculty and Chicago alums who made our students’ experience exceptional.
Highlights from 2025
As we close out the year, I also want to take a moment to reflect on what has been made possible from every single one of you.
From commencement celebrations to global recognition, these moments capture the momentum that carried us through the year. Looking back, I am deeply proud of the excellence, creativity, and leadership demonstrated across our college. This year our students and faculty earned national recognition, advanced important conversations and exemplified what it means to communicate with purpose.
Some of the moments that defined our year include:
- Elevating creativity in game design. Our students and faculty in game design earned national recognition when ComArtSci was named to The Princeton Review’s 2025 list of top undergraduate schools for game design, reflecting years of collaborative teaching, creativity and innovation in the classroom.
- Celebrating student voices through writing. Media and Information graduate student, Anna Smolko was recognized as the Best Overall Essay winner, a reminder of the power of storytelling and the thoughtful mentorship that helps students find and refine their voices.
- Honoring emerging student leaders. Advertising Management student Phoebe Tran was named a Most Promising Multicultural Student, highlighting her leadership, dedication and commitment to inclusive communication, and the supportive community that helped her thrive.
Phoebe Tran smiles after being named one of the American Advertising Federation’s 2025 Most Promising Multicultural Students.
- Supporting the next generation of journalists. MSU junior Alex Walters received the David W. Miller Award for Young Journalists, reflecting both his talent and the faculty guidance that prepares students to lead with integrity in the field.
- Recognizing faculty who shape visual storytelling. Jarrad Henderson, artist in residence in the School of Journalism, was recognized nationally for his impact as an educator, a testament to his dedication to students and his leadership in visual storytelling.
- Advancing leadership in speech, language and hearing sciences. Dimitar Deliyski, MSU Foundation Professor and Chair of the Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, and J. Scott Yaruss, professor in the Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders received the highest honors from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association — a testament to their scholarly excellence and leadership in their discipline.
- Driving research that improves lives. Bridget Walsh, associate professor in the Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders and her fellow researchers in our Developmental Speech Laboratory received a $3.1 million National Institutes of Health grant to study the impact of stuttering on children, advancing research that has the potential to shape care, inform practice and create meaningful learning opportunities for students.
Investing in the future
Each of these stories reflects something essential about ComArtSci, a culture of mentorship, a commitment to excellence and a belief in the power of communication and empathy to help bridge divides and drive change. Behind every recognition is a community of faculty, staff, alumni and friends working together to support individual and collective successes.
As we wrap up 2025, we do so having navigated a year that required thoughtful and challenging decisions, including difficult choices and conversations related to budgets and priorities. We will return in January with a renewed focus.
Students follow along to Professor Alexandrea Thrubis Stanley during an Advertising 482 – Project Management of Advertising and Public Relations lecture this semester.
I remain deeply mindful of our dual responsibility to both prepare students to become critical thinkers ready for the workplace AND to generate new knowledge that addresses complex societal challenges.
While we continue to support our undergraduate students with opportunities to learn, practice, and thrive, we also are making strategic investments to support research.
I’m happy to share that after a strategic review of research-focused endowed donor funds, next fall we will begin adding the equivalent of four 4-year graduate assistantships over the next four years. I also am establishing a central pool of funds to support research-related travel as well as $200,000 to support research grant awards for faculty through 2030.
While many of our peer colleges have suspended grad program admissions and faculty searches, we are making strategic investments of faculty hires, with four underway. And we are continuing to admit and fund doctoral students. Despite the financial headwinds we face in higher education, it is donor support that provides opportunities for us to continue to support key areas of focus.
As we enter January, we do so together, with optimism and a shared commitment to a bright future for ComArtSci. I wish you a restful end to the year and look forward to all that we will continue to build together in the year ahead.
Warm regards,
Heidi Hennink-Kaminski
P.S. Sharing a photo from our ComArtSci and WKAR holiday potluck today. Moments like this remind me how fortunate we are to do this work alongside one another.
